


Kinetic Energy

by LadyThrimbletrimmer



Series: OverWLWatch [4]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Autistic Symmetra, Canon Autistic Character, Dancing, F/F, Fluff, undeniably gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-08-11 06:08:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7879516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyThrimbletrimmer/pseuds/LadyThrimbletrimmer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tracer invites Symmetra to go out contra dancing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kinetic Energy

Satya had never been exceptionally skilled at handling stress. She was very good at hiding it, rolling it up tight and storing the anxiety in a little iron box. But any physicist can tell you that energy has to go somewhere. The longer she left it in that box, the hotter and brighter it became. She had to let it out eventually. 

This was the explanation Satya gave herself on days like these, days she spent laying down on the floor flapping her arms.

Why. 

Why had Tracer asked her to go dancing. 

Why had she said yes.

Satya always found it uncomfortable to be around people, especially strangers. She never knew what to do with herself. And when Satya didn’t know what to do with herself, the little iron box got hot. Cooling it off was time-consuming and embarrassing. That’s why she had spent most of the afternoon laying on the floor in her raggedy purple tank-top and old grey sweat pants, flapping her arms like a panicked chicken. Now the iron box was about as cold as it was going to get. 

Doing things can be hard. It drains your batteries. Showering drained Symmetra’s batteries a little, as did putting on clean clothes and brushing her hair. She contemplated putting on makeup, but the idea of having gunk on her face all night killed that plan. Satya was running on maybe 70% battery power when Tracer showed up.

Tracer. Irksome, hyperactive, adorable Tracer. Nobody else would have invited Symmetra to go contra dancing. Nobody else had the kind of smile that would make her say yes.

“Will Miss Lacroix join us this evening?”

“Nah, Amélie and Mei are going on a date tonight. Both of them say hi, by the way.”

“Fareeha says hello as well.”

“Aww, that’s nice of her.” Tracer’s grin highlighted her scattering of freckles.

The two of them chatted for a while as they made their way towards the small town hall where the dance was being held.

Symmetra realized that there was music already coming from the hall. They were late. She glanced at Tracer, trying hard to convey apprehension without the inconvenience of words.

Tracer noticed. “These are always casual. Come and go, no worries. Plus this way you get to see what it looks like before we join in.”

They walked in through the open double doors. Satya had been expecting something crazy, lots of people moving to some pounding beat. Instead, the room was full of lighthearted violin music. All the people danced in semi-neat rows, all following a clearly defined pattern. Most of the dancers were in their forties or fifties, moving slowly but with apparent delight. At the end of the hall was a small band, with a master of ceremonies calling out steps for the dancers.

“Cheers luv! What do you think?”

Satya didn’t know what to say. She had spent the afternoon struggling with the notion of a frenzied mess of semi-rhythmic chaos. To step in here and find it so structured, so organized, it was a blessed relief.

“Will you help me learn the steps?”

“Of course!”

They joined in at the next song. The way the dance worked, each set of partners had to do a simple series of steps with another pair, then repeat the process with the next pair in line. It was elegant in a semi-formal American South style.

What made Symmetra most uncomfortable was the touching. Much of the dancing involved some form of holding on to other people. Lena noticed this soon enough, and showed Satya how to nudge the other dancers to readjust the placement of their hands. She conveyed in sentence fragments and facial expressions that these events had a relaxed attitude towards personal space. None of the dancers meant anything by it, and indeed Symmetra noticed that they quickly learned her boundaries.

Tracer had met many of the other dancers in previous visits, and she said hello to each one as they danced up the line. Satya quickly lost track of the names. Each one tried their best to help her find her feet on the floor. Some were more accommodating than others.

The song finally ended, and Lena invited Symmetra to sit with her on one of the benches that lined the hall. Satya readily accepted the opportunity.

They danced a few more times that night. Symmetra even found herself brave enough to dance with a stranger, a little old man with massive eyebrows. The man gave her a flourishing bow as the song concluded, then made a wheezing chortle before tottering off into the crowd.

The master of ceremonies called for a ten-minute break before the next song. Lena bounded up to Satya. There was that vibrant smile. Tracer was always a bundle of emotions, a creature of relentless authenticity.

“Cheers, luv. Want to head out? If we hurry, the ice cream place might still be open.”

Satya agreed. This had been nice- far better than she had expected- but the hall was hot and crowded and she was ready to leave.

The two of them stepped out into the evening. Others from the dance were also wandering out, eager to get fresh air. Tracer waved goodbye to some of them as she and Satya left.

“So, I realized almost right after mentioning it that you might not like ice cream. We can check to see what else is open if you want.”

“It is fine. Thank you for being willing to leave so soon.” 

Lena gave the architect a smile. “No worries. It can get exhausting in there.”

This made Symmetra pause for a moment. “I think I have never seen you exhausted.”

“Really? It happens, I swear. Mostly when I’m out with people like them” Tracer gestured back towards the hall. “I don’t do this sort of thing very often. But the people who go to everything, all the different dances and the like, they all know each other. And if I hang around afterwards, they just get into their groups and talk about the local drama. It’s a nightmare.”

“I thought you fit in quite well.”

“Yeah, I say hi to a lot of people.” Lena shrugged. “Truth is, I don’t have a lot of friends outside work.”

“Really?”

Tracer looked down. Regret was plastered all over her face. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t want to be a downer.”

Symmetra grappled with her emotions, trying to piece together what to say. “You can talk about it with me, Lena. And I know what it’s like, not having friends.” She struggled to push each word into place, but her meaning came through. Tracer smiled back at her again.

They walked into a small public park.

“Tell you what, though. You looked incredible back there.”

“I’m glad you think so. It was nice, but it’s not my usual way of dancing.”

“Oh?” Tracer waggled her eyebrows at Symmetra. “Care to show me?”

“Certainly. Sit down.” 

Tracer complied. The interest on her face went from politely enthusiastic to openly enthralled as Symmetra walked through the steps of ghoomar. 

It was one of several dances that Symmetra had taught herself, one of the ways she cooled the metal box. The whirling rhythm made sense in its way. And here, performing for Tracer, everything felt right.

After about a minute, Symmetra finished up with a graceful bow. She looked back at Tracer. The pilot had her hands on her cheeks as she smiled from ear to ear.

“Satya, anyone ever tell you you’re beautiful?”

“Um.”

“Cos you are. You’re amazing.”

Symmetra stammered out some half-formed response that made Tracer laugh, then she replied in kind. They carried on like that all the way back to the Watchpoint. As they parted ways, Lena gave Satya a quick peck on the cheek. The pilot then turned away and was about to bound off again, but the architect caught her by the arm and pulled her into a hug. Few people ever got a hug from Symmetra. Fewer still ever received a full kiss on the lips, followed by a hurried good night before she ran into her room.

This had been a long night. The iron box was hot. But there had been dancing and talking, and Symmetra breathed happily and free.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know if contra dancing is a thing anywhere except the US, but it's fun.
> 
> Also, ghoomar is one of many Indian folk dances. I don't know if it's actually the one that most corresponds to the type of dancing that Symmetra does. If someone more knowledgeable wants to share, I welcome it.


End file.
